Artificial leather.



gm I A #0771643,

G. G. L. FOREL.

ARTIFICIAL LEATHER.

APPLICATION FILED snmmo, 1910.

1,056,898, Patented Mar. 231913.

INVENTOR WITNESSES: g

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nnrrrrcmn LEATHER.

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To alli'wkom it mayconce'rn: Be it known that I, Gnoncns G. L. FOREL,

' a citizen of the Republic of France, residing in Lyon, Rhone, France, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Artificial Leather, of which the following is a specification. a

The invention has for itsobject to manufacture an improved artificial leather as hereinafter explained.

Large numbers of artificial leathers of some value'have already been patented and manufactured, some containing simple fabrics (such, for example, as pegamoid, loreid, and pluviosine), or superposed fabrics united together by means of adhesive mate rials (such, for example, as pantasote), while others consist of vegetable, or animal, fibers felted, or made intofleece, with adhesive materials (such, for example, as Karle leather and vulcan leather). Artificial leathers have also been made of laminated pastes. These products, however, have various serious imperfections, for instance they may be wantingin thickness, or dura-- bility, as is the case with artificial leathers consisting of fabrics, or may be wanting; in-

flexibility, as is the case with artificial leathers made of fibers with adhesive material, or because the surface, grain, or bloom, is not sufficiently durable, or adherent, the reasons for these imperfections being inherent to the modes of manufacture.

According to the present invention artificial leather is obtained which is flexible whatever may be its thickness and which' presents a surface, grain, or bloom, which is very durable and adherent, forming, as it does, an integral part of the artificial leather.

The manufacture of artificial leather according to this invention is carried out as having, or which can be treated to have, the appearance of leather. The fluidity, or viscosity, of this varnish should be. in accordance with the texture of the fabric, or the distance apart of the threads of which it is made, so that the varnish penetrates sufliciently between the threads, but does not Specification of Letters Patent. f PatentedMai'. 25, rats. Application filed September 10,1910. Serial No. 531%45.

pass entirely through the thickness of the fabric, but only through, say, about half the thickness of the fabric. -When the fabric is of an open texture, it may be subjected first to a light preliminary dressing so as to partially fill the spaces between the threads and prevent the varnish forming the surface from passing through the fabric. If desired the coating with the varnish for forming the surface resembling leather may be completed by one application, or by two, or

more, applications, provided that all the interstices,,or spaces, of the fabric arestopped so that, in the subsequent operation of incorporation, by means of adhesive material, of fibers withthe fabric, the said adhesive material cannot penetrate entirely through the fabric covered with varnish, but only through, say, about half the thickness of the fabric. 1

The next step is the intimate union of the fabric covered with its surfacing varnish with text-ile'fibers by means of suitable adhesive material. The fabric, having been prepared as hereinbefore described, is con' ducted to a strong calender with steel rolls so that the side of the fabric to which the varnish has been applied is next one of the rolls, the untreated side being outermost.

To the other roll of the calender a sheet, or layer, of textile fibers (which I will refer to as the fleece) is fed by means of an endless band, or any other suitable conveye'r. The fabric and-the fleece will thus meet between the two rolls of the calender, the distance apart and pressure of the rolls being adjusted as required. Adhesive material (the fluidity, or viscosity, of which will be in accordance with the nature of the fabric and fleece under treatment) is supplied between the fabric and the fleece, this supply of ad- .in such a position that the adhesive material is Supplied to the fabric a little before it comes in contact with the fleece.

After drying in the air, the co'uching of the varnish surface on the fabric sideis completed, if this had notbeen completely done before the rolling operation, and the various kinds as regards thickness, resistance, flexibility, andother qualities by choosing, according to requirements, the most suitable fabric, fibers and adhesive. Any suitable fabrics can be used of a length and width in accordance with the dimensions of.

the product required. For the fleece, any animal, or vegetable, fibers can be used, these being previouslycarded, or cleaned, so as to free them from impurities. The fleece is supplied to the calender in layers of a depth in accordance with the thickness of the product to be obtained. The adhesive employed will vary according to the, purpose for which the product is to be used, and may contain, for example, caoutchouc, guttapercha, balata, resins, gums, gelatin, or the like, admixed, or not, with other matter. For the varnish to form the surface resem-, bling leather in appearance, any suit-able coloring matters, either mineral, or organic,

. maybe combined with collodion, linseed-oil,

gelatin, caoutchouc, or the like, in the manner usually followed in the manufacture of varnishes for artificial leather.

The process is represented diagrammatically in exaggerated form in the accompanying drawing, a indicating the sheet of fabrichaving'its interstices filled with a suitable filler such as varnish, b the coating of gummy material, 0 the mass of fibers, and d the adhesive by which the fibers are united together and to the fabric a.

What I claim is I 1. A process of making artificial leather, wherein a sheet of textile fabric is coated upon one side with a coating of varnish, the fluidity of which is proportioned to the mesh of the fabric, so as to fill the meshes thereof without passing through the fabric, the other side of said fabric being uncoated with said varnish, and a mass of loose fibers united to said other side of said fabric by an adhesive.

2. A process of making artificial leather, wherein a sheet of textile fabric is'coated upon one side with a coating of varnish, the fluidity of which is proportioned to the mesh of the fabric, so as to fill the meshes thereof without passing through the fabric,

5 and the other side of said fabric being un-l will impart to the surface the appearcoated with said varnish, subsequent coatings of surfacing material appliedto said coated side, and a mass of loose fibers united to said other side of said fabric by an adhesive.

3. A process of making artificial leather, wherein a sheet of textile fabric is treated with a filler for filling the meshes of said fabric, coated on one side with a varnish which passes but partially through said fabric, the other side of said fabric being uncoated with said varnish, and a mass of loose fibers united to said other side of said fabric by an adhesive.

4. A process of making artificial leather, wherein a sheet of textile fabric is coated upon one side with a coating of varnish, the fluidity of which is proportioned to the mesh of the fabric, so as to fill the meshes thereof without passing through the fabric, and the other side of said fabric being uncoated with said varnish, anda mass of loose fibers united to said other side of said fabric by an adhesive, under pressure.

5. A process of making artificial leather, wherein a sheetof textile fabric is coated upon one side with a gummy solution, the

fluidity of which is proportioned to the mesh of the fabric so as to fill the meshes thereof without passing through the'fabric, and the other side of said fabric being uncoated with said varnish, subsequent coatings of gummy surfacing material applied to said coated side, and a mass of loose fibers united to said other side of said fabric by an adhesive, under pressure.

6. An artificial leather comprising a sheet of textile fabric having upon one side thereof a coating of water-impervious material which passes but partially through said fabric, the other side of said fabric being uncoated with said water impervious material, and a compressed adherent mass of fibers on the other side of said fabric, said product being flexible and coherent.

7. An artificial leather comprising a sheet of textile fabric having upon one side thereof a coating of gummy material which passes but partially through said fabric,

with. said gummy material, and a compressed adherent mass of fibers on the other side of said fabric, said product being flexible and coherent.

8. An artificial leather comprising a sheet of textile fabric having upon one side thereof a coating of gummy material which passes but partially through said fabric, the other side of said fabric being uncoated with said gummy material, andother coatings of gummy material upon said coated the other side of said fabric being uncoated side, and a compressed adherent mass of fibers on the other side of said fabric, said product being flexible and coherent.

9. A process of making artificial leather, wherein a sheet of textile fabric is coated upon one side with a coating of shellac, the In Witness whereof I have hereunto fluidity of which is proportioned to the mesh signed my name in the presence of two sub 10 0% the fabric, so as trl)1 fill tlllielrlneihgs therescribing witnesses.

0 Wit out assing t roug te a ric, the

other side of said fabric being uncoated With GEORGES CHARLES W FOREI" said varnish, and a mass of loose fibers Witnesses: united to the other side of said fabric by GEORGES GERARD LEVY, an interposed liquid adhesive. MARIN VAOHON. 

